Text Box: Research Areas Knowledge and Service: Science, Engineering, and Management - Intelligent Service Platforms Machine Learning in Data, Text, and Video Mining: Personalized Search and Active Learning, Collaboration Filtering and Social Network Dynamics, Bio-medical Business Management; Innovation, New Product Development, Process Learning, Financial Engineering, and Supply Chain Management Biography Prof. Akella’s current research interests are focused on machine learning, data, text, and video mining, and their use in Knowledge services, business management and biomedical problems. In knowledge Services, his interests are in Personalized Search and Active Learning, Collaboration and Social Network Dynamics. In Business Management, his interests are in Innovation, New Product Development and Portfolios, Process Learning, Financial Engineering, and Supply Chain Management, In Biomedical, his interests are at the interface of machine learning and signal processing. Prof. Ram Akella is currently Professor and Director of the Center for Knowledge, Information Systems, and Management of Technology (KISMT) at the University of California at Silicon Valley Center/ Santa Cruz, and was Founding Director of TIM and GEMC -SUNY. His research, with colleagues at KISMT, is focused on technology and software enterprise profitability and growth, integrating computer science (knowledge services and management, data/text/semantic mining, search, machine learning, IT/IS) with management (innovation management and product development and learning, supply chain management, finance and strategy, marketing) Ram commenced his academic career in the US at Harvard, and at MIT (LIDS/EECS), where he developed and implemented internationally cited novel stochastic-control algorithms for real time factory management, in collaboration with IBM and Digital. He then joined the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in 1985 as an Associate Professor in the Management School (GSIA) and the School of Computer Science (Robotics Institute), where he developed seminal results in supply chain management (complex assembly problems with supply uncertainty and supply contracts) in collaboration with IBM, and at MIT (Leaders for Manufacturing Program). Subsequently, as a faculty member and Director, at CMU, and then at UC Berkeley (Industrial Engineering and Operations Research) , and Stanford University (Management Science and Engineering) , Prof. Akella led major multi-million dollar interdisciplinary team efforts in Process Learning and Knowledge Analytics in the High Tech and Semiconductor industries. His award winning work has been implemented is dozens of facilities worldwide and altered industry practice. His research and teaching at Stanford University have been in Business Process Optimization and E-Business. The topics include options contracts and exchanges in supply chain management, enterprise software and logistics management, financial engineering and investment in design capacity management, demand management, optimal product portfolios in innovation and risk management, product and process design/development and life cycle management, Knowledge Services and Management, IT & IS, software and business process global outsourcing and off-shoring and cost competitiveness, health and clinical informatics and management, and the use of machine learning and signal processing in biomedical engineering.. Professor Akella completed his B.S. in Electronics at I.I.T. Madras, and a Ph.D. in Systems/EECS at I.I.Sc. Bangalore. His doctoral and graduate students have taught at major schools such as Northwestern, Michigan (Ann Arbor), NYU, USC, Dartmouth, and the London Business School, and include Department Chairs, work at corporations such as IBM, KLA-Tencor, TSMC, ABN/AMRO, and BCG, and have gone on to become Vice Presidents of major corporations, such as AT Kearney and WK Technology Fund, and CEOs of startups including Spoke. He has received several awards, including the IBM Postdoctoral and Faculty Awards, the AMD Research Award, and the KLA Award. He has been cited in Marquis’ Who’s Who, and has interacted extensively with industries, including those corporations such as AMD, TI, IBM, Digital, Hyundai, LSI Logic, HP, AT&T, KLA-Tencor, Applied Materials, Cisco, SRC, NASA, American Axle, Delphi Automotive, General Motors, Visa, and Rich Food Products, along with various Japanese and European companies. He has also lectured extensively by invitation in Europe and the Pacific Rim including Japan, Taiwan, China, Korea, and Singapore. He is on the Technical Advisory Council of Yield Dynamics, and Boards including E-Soft, Service Research & Innovation, and UTI Ventures (Unit Trust of India is India’s original Govt. mutual fund). He is a Charter member of TIE and co-Chair of the Education Committee of the California Governor’s Delegation to India. He enjoys helping companies grow and become more profitable, and is delighted when executives give him stock as a token of their appreciation. Professor Akella has served as an Associate Editor for Operations Research and IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, and has been on the Editorial Board of Technology and Operations Review. He has also served as Guest Editor for IEEE Robotics and Automation: Special Issue on Manufacturing Systems.

 

Ram Akella

 

Professor Information Systems and Technology Management

University Of California Santa Cruz

 

Ph.D., EECS, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 1976-1982

B.S., EE, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India,

1971-1976